


5 Times Laura Took Care of an Avenger and 1 Time They Took Care of Her

by Merfilly



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: 5+1 Things, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-24
Updated: 2016-01-24
Packaged: 2018-05-16 01:00:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5807155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merfilly/pseuds/Merfilly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Laura Barton, den mom</p>
            </blockquote>





	5 Times Laura Took Care of an Avenger and 1 Time They Took Care of Her

**Author's Note:**

> Disregards canon by introducing Laura earlier and then makes mincemeat of plot ideas in everything after Winter Soldier.

1\. Laura looked up as the alarm beeped acknowledgment of a correct entry. The monitor in the corner of the kitchen showed her that Clint and Natasha were home with… oh, was that blond hair and an impossible physique? She really ought to have a word with Clint, or Nat as that would do more good, about unexpected visitors. She dusted her hands off and went to meet the trio, a call to Cooper to keep an eye on Lila and to behave as she did.

"Come in," Laura fussed as her opening the door made Captain America hesitate. "Clint and Natasha brought you; that means a lot in my book, Captain."

"Thanks, Laura," Clint said, before they assisted the Super Soldier inside, each former SHIELD agent under an arm. "It's been a rough few days," he added.

"I don't know why you're complaining," Natasha complained. "Laura, I gave directions to another friend; he's following up on a possible thread before he comes."

Natasha never said 'friend' lightly. Laura cocked her head at the woman, who flipped up a phone with a photograph. "That's the one that was flying during the recent mess?" Laura asked, to confirm.

"Yes."

"Ma'am, he's my friend, and I really apologize for intruding," Captain America said. Laura appraised him critically, before giving him a smile.

"Captain, you look like you should still be in a hospital. So you settle on that couch while Clint goes to get a spare room ready for you," Laura told him evenly. "If they brought you home, it means you're family now."

Steve ducked his head bashfully, but Natasha nudged his ribs gently, smiling.

"Told you so," she said. "Laura takes good care of us."

"Even if I don't know why," Clint said, teasing as he stopped to kiss his wife on the cheek before going to handle the room situation. They had two that were side by side, in case Sam and Steve wanted to stay close. 

"Have to admit, I was a little confused when they showed up to break me out of the hospital," Steve said. "I had no idea, and I'm worried that it might bring danger down on you, ma'am."

Laura shook her head. "With what I saw, just being married to Clint is danger enough. Don't worry, Captain; I've got plans and contingency plans behind those. Also, stop with the ma'am and call me Laura."

"Yes ma'am," Steve said before smiling cheekily. "Laura."

Natasha just laughed, putting a pillow under Steve's neck, before standing to steal her own kiss from Laura and going to keep a watch for Sam. That left Laura with her guest.

"Do you want something to drink or eat?" she asked him. He shook his head, grimaced a little, and she sighed softly. "Don't move your head a lot if you have a concussion. That's advice Clint should have given you from personal experience."

Steve snorted. "I woke up with Sam sitting next to me, and then an hour later, Clint and Natasha come in, tell us we're moving, and I'm still trying to figure out where he was that she found him so fast but he hadn't been helping us."

"Somewhere up high," Laura teased, knowing her husband well. "You're safe here. So just sleep it off, talk about what you need to, and I'll try to keep the kids to a dull roar." She saw the absolute shock in his face, even though there were a few toys that had been missed in cleaning up that could be seen. "Cooper and Lila, and they're generally well-behaved… and they'll probably have a million questions for you once they stop clamoring for Natasha's attention."

"Not Clint's?" Steve asked, trying to make out the dynamics here, even though neither agent's kiss for Laura had been on a just-friends' level. 

"Oh, they'll badger Clint too, but he makes it home a little more often than she does these days," Laura assured him.

"Might have to work on that, for both of them," Steve said, but the fatigue of his injuries made the words slur, and Laura just moved to cover him with an afghan. Clint and Nat could move him later.

* * *

2\. Laura answered the phone, still chopping carrots for the PTA meeting later that day. "Hi, honey," she said, her knife work never faltering even with the phone wedged against her ear.

"Hey lady," Nat answered, the noise of traffic behind her. "Sorry to do this to you, but if you saw the news where that physics disaster happened in Connecticut, it's got ripples in our team."

Laura did not sigh; at least Nat was calling first. "Banner?"

"No, actually. Foster and her Asgardian boyfriend tried to contain it, and things went sideways. She's pretty badly shaken up and he won't leave her side, but she doesn't want to go to Asgard. Can they crash for a few days?"

"Am I going to get my kitchen addition this time?"

"I could call Stark," Natasha offered.

"I wouldn't get a kitchen. I'd get a whole new house in bad colors and have appliances talking back to me." Laura did half-smile as she said it.

"Kitchen remodel, and I'll coordinate it through Potts instead. The couple should be there in about an hour."

"You knew I'd say yes," Laura accused playfully. 

"If you'd said no, I would have called them and told them to go crash with Banner and his girlfriend." Natasha made a missing sound. "Hope to see you soon, beautiful. If Clint shows up before me, tell him he owes me for swapping this time."

"Can do," Laura said before they hung up. She would get things ready for PTA, turn down the spare room's bed. The couple should be there before the meeting, so she could get them settled in and go on.

* * *

3\. The absolute look of desperation mixed with defiance made Laura's face soften slightly, even if she was a little worried about Steve and Sam just showing up with this strange man.

"Ma'am — "

"Laura," she corrected Steve, again.

"My friend's been in a rough spot, and we just need a place to give him some time to work through issues," Steve said.

"I'll help with the cooking," Sam said quickly, even as Laura moved to one side.

"Who told you I got the remodel?" Laura teased the flier, before closing and locking the door, resetting the alarm codes to a higher priority. 

"Rhodey," Sam admitted, helping the miserable man in as Steve took most of the weight of this new guest.

"He hasn't even been here; I haven't met him," Laura said. "I just know he's a useful military asset with the ability to rein in Stark from time to time," she added, mimicking Natasha, getting a smile out of Sam.

"Are the kids asleep?" Steve asked.

"Actually, they're at a sleepover with the local church group." Laura guided them to the guest rooms, taking her cue from Steve when he instinctively angled for the one he had used last time. She got the blankets turned back, then sized up the three men. "I'll bring clothes back for you all. You know where the bathrooms are."

"Bucky, you want a shower?" Steve asked quietly, and Laura placed this one as definitely 'involved'. Sam didn't look upset, so maybe it was already negotiated out.

"Yes, please." His haunted eyes ducked toward the woman he did not know. "Ma'am."

"It's Laura, like I keep telling Steve there. Do you want me to call you Bucky, or is there another name?"

"Bucky's fine, ma'am," he replied his voice hoarse as if rarely used.

"Alright." She left them to go get spare clothes, adding this one's sizes to a mental tally list for her rummage sales and thrift shopping, so he'd have items when he dropped in.

* * *

4\. Clint looked sheepish, even as the guest room closed on the back of Tony Stark. Laura walked her husband back to the kitchen, settling in her chair with her tea.

"His PTSD is in a bad flare," Clint began. "Pepper's worried enough to call me in to kidnap him. Where else could I get him fully away from his engineering?"

Laura just watched him evenly, sipping her steaming tea.

"I promise not to leave while he's here?" Clint offered.

She continued to watch him, not saying a word, over her mug.

"I'll call Rhodey and get him to join us, to occupy Stark," Clint said. She kept that unnerving gaze locked on him. "And Nat. I'll get Nat to come home."

"Clint. If any of my appliances start talking, walking, or otherwise being more than household appliances, I will personally make you wish you were back in Phil's personal training program," she said sweetly. Clint turned as pale as a ghost and swore to himself to keep Tony contained.

* * *

5\. Neither Wanda nor Pietro knew just what to make of the life that Laura, Clint, and Natasha offered them, but Cooper and Lila were fast teaching them about 'fun'. The pair had become more permanent house guests than anyone other than Phil had ever been, but Laura didn't mind. Of every one of Clint's associates Laura had given a place to heal, the twins hurt her soul more than any other.

She hadn't thought that possible, after working through Bucky's nightmares on his visits.

Watching them now, engaged in a game of Sorry! with the kids, while Wanda kept darting eyes over to Nathaniel's bassinet to be sure he was still sleeping, Laura felt a certain pride in how far they had come. The children were teaching them how to play, Clint was teaching them pride in their individuality, and Natasha was giving them much needed discipline.

Laura? She knew she had become 'mom' in their eyes, and that suited her. They needed her to love them.

* * *

+1. The tickets came with a handwritten note the same day Clint and Nat had showed up unexpectedly when Laura was coming up on her milestone birthday. The elegant invitation to come to New York for a ladies' vacation was signed by the elusive Pepper Potts. Airfare, Broadway tickets, hotel accommodations… Laura's eyebrows went up and she looked at her spouse and lover suspiciously.

Clint broke first.

"The team wants to say 'thank you', and Pepper wants to actually meet you, and … your birthday's soon," he babbled. "So, Fury told us to come home, the rest of the team is going handle the heavy lifting, and you? You get to go get pampered and spoiled by the head of Stark Industries."

"She's really good at spoiling people," Natasha added with that oh-so-knowing tone, making Laura burst into laughter.

"Alright, then. Anyone who can get Nat to let herself be spoiled is worth meeting," Laura told them. "Don't burn the house down, don't let Pietro dare Cooper to anything outrageous, and remind Wanda that babies need to cry sometimes," she said for instructions, before going to pack for her trip.


End file.
